Sikkim
Navigate: Main Page ... India ... '' Etymology • History • Geography • Climate • Government • Culture • Economy • Politics • Civic Administration • Sport and recreation • Trivia • User reviews • Photo gallery • See also • Transport • Utility Services • Demographics • Media • Education • Sports • External resources • __NOEDITSECTION__ Etymology Enter text here. History Enter text here. Geography '''Sikkim' is to the north of West Bengal, adjoining Nepal to the west, China (Tibet) to the north and east, and Bhutan to the south-east. It is the second-smallest state and, with barely half a million people, the least populous. Capital is Gangtok, former seat of the Namgyal kings, near the south-east corner in the lower Himalayas. Sikkim is very mountainous, with altitudes ranging from a subtropical 280 metres in the south up to the summit of Kanchenjunga, the world's third-highest mountain, on the north-west border with Nepal. Little of the land is useful for farming, but terracing has resulted in productive hillsides. The main river is the Teesta, which drains the northernmost peaks and flows generally southward through the middle of the state, past Mangan and smaller towns, till it reaches West Bengal and flows south-west along the state border for some kilometres until near Kalimpong it meets its main tributary, the Rangeet, which drains much of the west. Climate Enter text here. Economy Economy of Sikkim The economy of Sikkim is mainly based on agricultural and animal husbandry. Approx. Agriculture is of the mixed type and still at the subsistence level rather than commercial level. The female participation rate in Sikkim is also much higher than the national average. All the able-bodied people are employed in agriculture and other activities. House holds and other industries are negligible, but other worker (Tertiary Sector) at the state level represent a good percentage of population. Though most of the inhabitants are basically agriculture, they have diversified into tertiary jobs such as Government services. Twenty eight years back, when Sikkim became the 22nd State of India the state had very limited development space both in economic and political sense. Sikkim has the fifth highest incidence of poverty among the states, with 41.4 per cent of the population below the poverty line (1993–94). Public administration has, by default, become the propelling force behind income growth. The cornerstone of the development strategy pursued so far has been a super-active government in all areas of economic activity. Rice is grown on terraced hillsides in the southern reaches. Sikkim has the highest production and largest cultivated area of cardamom in India. Breweries, distilleries, tanning and watchmaking are the main industries. These are located in the southern reaches of the state, primarily in the towns of Melli and Jorethang. Elaichi or Cardamom is the chief cash crop of Sikkim. In recent years, the government of Sikkim has promoted tourism. Among the minerals mined in Sikkim are copper, dolomite, limestone, graphite, mica, iron and coal. The opening of the Nathula Pass on July 6, 2006 connecting Lhasa, Tibet to India is expected to give a boost to the local economy, though the financial benefits will be slow to arrive. Enter text here. Civic Administration Enter text here. Transport Enter text here. Utility Services Enter text here. Demographics Enter text here. People Enter text here. Culture Enter text here. Media Enter text here. Education Enter text here. Politics Enter text here. Sport and Recreation Enter text here. See also Enter text here. References *Wikipedia:Sikkim#Geography * Template Category:States and territories of India Category: